1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing card-like articles, such as mails, more precisely, sorting and stamping card-like articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mail sorting/stamping apparatus is known which comprises a supply section, a hopper, a unit for sorting items of mails in accordance with their thicknesses, a V-chute, a unit for sorting items of mails in accordance with their widths, a shifting unit, a pickup unit, a unit for detecting foreign matters and hard matters, a buffer unit, a stamping unit, and a collecting unit. A transfer path extends from the hopper to the collecting unit, and a number of mail items are supplied through the transfer path from the supply section to the collecting section. Several detectors are located besides that portion of the transfer path which extends from the hopper to the buffer. Each of these detectors detect the flow rate of mail, i.e., the number of mail items passing by the detector per a unit of time, and generates an electrical signal showing the flow rate of mail. The mail flow rate represented by the signal is adjusted to a fixed optimum value which has been determined by an average ratio of nonstandard-size mail items and thick mail items to all mail items forming a stack set in the supply section. However, in this method of adjusting the mail flow rate, when the ratio is much higher or lower the average, the items of mail may jam, be folded, or overlap, and can no longer be transported smoothly in the transfer path. Consequently, the mail sorting/stamping apparatus fails to operate with sufficient efficiency or reliability.